Trifter

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Taj Mahal is probably on the “to-see” list of most of you, which means that you already know the main facts about it. It has been on the ‘7 wonders of the world’ list for some time now and that has surely popularized the story behind it. Situated in Agra, it took about 20 years to build it, until it was finally completed around 1653. It was ordered by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to serve as a mausoleum in memory of his beloved third wife Mumtaz Mahal who died while giving birth to their fourteenth child. Made entirely of white marble and situated at the banks of the Yamuna River, it is probably the most romantic structure the world has ever seen. Here are a couple of additional facts about this Islamic piece of art.

1) More than 20 000 workers took part in building it and around 1000 elephants were used to carry the materials that were delivered from all over Asia. A popular myth states that the emperor cut the hands of most of the workers so that they can never build something similar. But there is no evidence pointing to this.

2) The focal archways  are decorated with engraved verses from the Quran, which was a typical practice during the Mughals. Religion is also present in a symbolic way. The four rivers of Paradise that were described during Prophet Muhammed’s ascend to heaven are represented in the four canals in the garden. Since Islam considers four to be a magic number, the garden is divided into 4 parts that represent the rivers of milk, honey, wine and water in Paradise. Each of the four parts is then divided into 4 smaller parts.

3) Mumtaz Mahal’s real name was Arjumand Banu but due to a Mughal tradition, it was changed after she got married. Her new name means Chosen One of the Palace.

4) Legend has it that after the death of his wife, the emperor spent 8 days in complete isolation and refused to eat. Once he came out of his seclusion, his black beard had turned completely white.

5) Taj Mahal is a much more polished and opulent version of the Humayun tomb in Delhi. The model of the Delhi one was followed but taken levels higher to achieve something exquisite.

6) The main architect, Ustad Ahmed, is also behind the construction and design of the Red Fort in Delhi.

7) Legend has it that Shah Jahan wanted to make another identical Taj Mahal from black marble on the other side of the river for himself. He was planning on connecting the two overlooking each other mausoleums by a bridge. However, the plan was cancelled by his sons. Some historians argue that this is not true and point out the fact that a space was left during the construction of the Taj for Shah Jahan to be laid to rest on the right side of his wife, just as Islamic tradition requires.

The cost of the TaJ Mahal was around 32 million Rupees at the time of its completion, which has been calculated to amount to trillions of dollars if the price is converted according to the standards now.

9) After the Taj was completed, Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb kept him under house arrest in the Agra Fort. People say that until the day he died, all he could see through his window was the Taj Mahal. The actual space where he was held is still at display at the Agra Fort and one can still see the Taj Mahal clearly in the distance.

10) There are 2 to 4 million people that visit the Taj Mahal every year including as many as 200 000 foreigners.

You know how sometimes you wait to visit a certain monument that you have seen numerous times on a postcard and the moment you actually see it, it falls short of your expectations? All the tourists, the noise and the chaos kind of overshadow most popular tourist destinations. But that is definitely not the case with the Taj Mahal. It is simply larger than life. One doesn’t even realize how enormous it is until you visit it and witness the hundreds of people looking like ants compared to its grand frame. It is one place that if you are lucky enough to visit will never fall short of your expectations. On the contrary, it will be hard for you to find a postcard that matches its beauty.